Wellington's Sacred Heart Cathedral closes after being deemed a significant quake risk

Saturday, 14 July 2018

Sacred Heart Cathedral in Wellington has closed after an earthquake assessment deemed it a significant risk to occupants.

Wellington's Sacred Heart Cathedral has abruptly closed, and could remain so for years, after a structural assessment deemed it a significant risk to occupants in the event of an earthquake.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the cathedral on Hill St in Thorndon said that while detailed planning for remediation work had not started yet, it was likely the building would be closed for several years and would cost 'several' million to fix.

Requiem Mass for Pope John Paul II is held at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Wellington in 2005.

'Raising the funds for this essential work is now the priority. The Cathedral Parish will be enlisting the help of the people of Wellington and others to preserve this Wellington landmark.'

The cathedral closed on Friday after an assessment found the building's structural integrity to be just 15 per cent of the standard for a new building.

Sacred Heart Cathedral was the venue in 2016 for the funeral of Jim Grant, who died alone in his Wellington apartment and went unnoticed for two months.

The funeral procession for Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage alongside the cenotaph in Wellington in 1940. The funeral service was held at Sacred Heart Cathedral.

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The closure forced the late cancellation of Saturday's mass.

Sacred Heart had received both a verbal report from structural and civil engineers Dunning and Thornton, and a peer review of a detailed seismic assessment on the condition of the cathedral.

'Both reports have confirmed that the cathedral currently presents a significant risk to occupants in an earthquake event,' the spokesperson said.

A rapid assessment was performed on the cathedral in November 2016 after the M7.8 Kaikōura earthquake, which was felt strongly in Wellington. No significant damage was observed at the time.

The first stage of a detailed assessment, completed September 2017, rated the building about 40 per cent of the standard for a new building, and identified areas for further investigation.

Results from the second stage of that assessment were completed on May 25 and found that, due to deficiencies in detailing of ceiling diaphragms, the cathedral was less than 33 per cent of the standard for a new building, which is considered earthquake-prone.

On July 11, a peer review of that work confirmed the building was less than 15 per cent of new building standards.

The Cathedral Finance committee met the following day and recommended immediate closure until remedial work to bring the structure up to at least 33 per cent of code could be undertaken.

Dunning Thornton had suggested that it could use the neighbouring Connolly Hall, Blessed Sacrament Chapel and the foyer, which were all separate structures to the cathedral. It was hoped work would be completed by the end of August to allow use of those areas.

While Saturday's mass was cancelled, future weekend masses would be held at St Mary's College Hall while the weekday eucharis, from Monday to Friday in the coming week would be at Sacred Heart School.

The cathedral, designed by architect Francis Petre, was opened in 1901. It is one of only a few examples of Petre's work still standing today.

It has been the venue for some notable services, including the funeral for New Zealand's first Labour Prime Minster Michael Joseph Savage in 1940.